After a grueling start to the season, PGJC-Navy finally has something to celebrate.
The Sealions, who opened the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference with six straight losses, ended the elimination round on a high note, rallying past VNS in four sets, 21-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-22, to claim their first victory of the tournament.
It may have been a small win in the standings, but for a team that spent much of last season incomplete, the triumph carried much more weight.
“Yung effort talaga namin ngayon, must-win talaga eh. Gusto talaga naming manalo kasi ayaw din naming ma-sweep kami ng wala kaming panalo. So thankful ako kasi lahat naman nag-perform,” said team captain Greg Dolor.
The win was also a celebration of the team’s return to full strength. PGJC-Navy’s campaign in the Open Conference was plagued by absences—some players were tied up with military schooling, while others faced health challenges. But on the final day, the Sealions were finally whole again.
Leading that sense of completeness was the return of Joeven Dela Vega, who overcame a lung condition that sidelined him earlier in the season.
“Thankful pa rin kami kasi although galing kami sa pahinga, galing ‘yung iba sa’min sa schooling sa military career namin, then ‘yung iba nagkasakit,” Dolor said. “Thankful ako kasi magkakasama kami ulit. Nabuo ulit namin ‘yung PGJC-Navy, then I hope sana magtuloy-tuloy pa rin na buo namin ‘yung team ulit.”
For Dolor and the Sealions, finishing the tournament intact—and with a victory—was the kind of small but meaningful win that can set the tone for the future.
“We will come back next Spikers’ Turf,” he vowed.
